The Listening
by MitsukiJunko
Summary: She was not good at words so she messed everything up.


**Hye! I am back with a Valentine Fic. I hope you like it. Domo.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Prince of Tennis and never will.**

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 **The Listening**

 **Summary: She was not good at words so she messed everything up.**

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 _'Can I let the trees do the talking_  
 _Can I let the ground do the walking_  
 _Can I let the sky fill what's missing_  
 _Can I let my mouth do the listening...'_

 _~ The Listening - Lights ~_

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My hands were sweating. Not literally. The red small box was hiding between my fingers.

My eyes were moving randomly.

My feet were pacing with any sense of directions.

People would spend this day special. Who wouldn't. Today was Valentines day. The day where people expressed their feelings to their loved ones. They said that no gift could replace your feelings with equal value. It might be expensive, cheap or handmade. It didn't matter.

It was the thoughts mattered.

Students from Seishun Academy weren't any different. We weren't into fancy gifts or something so we would satisfied by just making chocolate.

Mostly students would make chocolate for the ones they cared about.

That was where I was, standing in front of the school gate. Checking the students entering the premises, hoping that he would appear any time.

I went to school early on this day, hoping that I could catch him before the others. This day was my only chance of expressing my feelings to him. For all these years, I always failed to tell him.

It was silly but we were already in the final year of junior high but, I still had not confessed my feelings to Echizen Ryoma-kun.

I never had the guts ever since. People addressed me as a shy, clumsy girl. No sense of directions. Guess what, I still was.

With a little persuasion of my best friend, Tomo-chan, I finally mustered enough courage to tell him today.

Ryoma-kun changed a bit. There were times that he would speak to me. He even spent some time with me afterschool practice. I even had some fond memories with him. He had lots of admirers knowing how popular he was but he would only keep his eyes on me. And everytime he did that, my heart started to pound loudly inside my chest.

My thoughts were cut when I heard Momo-chan-senpai's giddy voice. He was riding his bike. My eyes widened when I spotted who was riding at his back.

It was Ryoma-kun frowning down at senpai.

I gripped my hands tight where the box was hiding from my back. Of all the Valentines days that passed, this Valentines day was the only honmei chocolate I'd give to him. My heart sped up once again that I could hear them through my ears. My breath also shortened as I saw them nearing from where I was standing.

Then I locked eyes with his amber eyes.

"Ohayou, Ryuzaki-chan!" Momo-chan-senpai greeted me but my eyes were still glued to Ryoma-kun, "Hey, are you alright?"

I gulped as I silently nodded. My thoughts started to run away from me now. I couldn't think clear. I couldn't think straight.

"Oi, Ryuzaki!"

I blinked twice. My face felt hot when I realized what I was doing. Ryoma-kun was staring at me, curiosity was visible to his eyes.

"What are you doing here outside?"

"E? A-anou..." I looked down staring at my feet. I gripped the gift tight as I drew my thoughts back from my brain.

"Echizen, you know we should be getting inside now," Momo-chan-senpai said looking at me apologetically, "You can both continue your conversation in the court."

"B-but, senpai..." I started to say.

"I dread this day, especially when I am with you." The second powerhouse player said.

"Hey! This day can't be bad." Ryoma-kun said frowning in the process.

"Oh really, then, can you still say those words after that?" He challenged as he pointed his finger ahead of us.

Both of us turned to his direction of his fingers. I knew that his eyes widened for mine was already were. The reason why I wanted to give the gift early was to avoid something like this.

Ryoma-kun was a good looking guy so of course, a lot of girls would give him boxes of chocolate and gifts too. And a bunch of them was heading our way.

"Gotta take a detour!" Momo-chan-senpai said stepping on the pedal and started to move, "See you later, Ryuzaki-chan!"

"S-senpai, wait!" I tried catching up to them but senpai dashed to the corner. Ryoma-kun glanced at me for a few seconds before they totally disappeared from my sight. I sighed dejectedly, "It must just be stressed." I whispered to myself. I let out some air of frustration when I realized what I had failed to do.

He was just right in front of me but I couldn't find my words to say them to him.

xxx

"Ryuzaki-chan!"

I turned around and saw some girls coming my way. It was already lunch time and I was on my way to the court. I planned to give the box of chocolate to Ryoma-kun at this time. I gripped my bag securely where the box was safely stuffed inside. I faced them and smiled;

"Yes, what is it?"

"Are you going to give Ryoma-sama some chocolates just like last year?"

I was about to answer but the second girl butted in, "Of course she's going to give him one. She's a regular."

"That's for sure," The third girl said, "Ryoma-sama is paying attention to her the most."

"You are lucky, you know," The first girl said holding my hands unexpectedly, "After all these years, he's been talking to you for the longest time."

"But-"

"You are going to him obligatory chocolates, right?" The third girl said once again, "That's what you keep giving him."

"He hasn't accepting any other than obligatory," The second girl looked at the third girl, "We should just be thankful that he's accepting ours too."

"Yeah, you are right," The first girl agreed, "I think we should give the boxes to him at the same time," She looked at me, "Don't you think so?"

"B-but I don't-"

"Oh come on, don't be such a killjoy," The second girl cut me pushing me towards the court with them, "We are all giving him the same type of chocolate."

"Listen-"

"Yes! This is a girl power!"

"I am not-"

"There's Ryoma-sama!" My eyes widened when I did see him walking away from the court. The girls walked closer to him dragging me along with them.

"There he is! Come on! Let's give him!"

I started to panic as they kept dragging me with them. Ryoma-kun's eyes landed to mine once again. My heart beat faster.

"I am not!" I said louder.

"What?" The second girl looked at me curiously.

"I am not giving Ryoma-kun obligatory chocolates!"

The three girls were surprised when I said that. The first girl faced me, a hand to her waist;

"You will not give him chocolates anymore?"

"I don't-"

"How rude!"

I was shocked when the first girl said that, "What? Wait! I-"

"How could you? I thought that you were one of us?" The second girl said interrupted me.

"You are not even going to give Ryoma-sama some chocolate either!" The third girl said before looking at Ryoma-kun, "Too bad, you are not going to receive one from her today. She doesn't like you anymore."

Both Ryoma-kun and I were shocked at her words. I looked at him and saw that he was a bit surprised too. He then looked away from me. I held my breath when he did that. Did he believe her? That couldn't be it, right? I had not known what to say to him yet and this was already happening. I stepped forward and tried to explain;

"There is some misunderstand-"

My voice was overcame by shrieks and cheers. More girls appeared in front of him and I was pushed backwards.

"You were all wrong!" I tried saying that but I was no longer heard. I frowned at the crowd in front of me. Ryoma-kun was blocked from my sight.

I hadn't conveyed everything to him yet. And all he got was the wrong impressions that were being said and heard. They weren't mine to begin with. I could never get the right words to him.

I bit my lower lip as I gripped the strap of my bag where the chocolate was in. I sighed deeply as I walked away from the crowd. But not long before I took a glance at his location where I thought he was.

I wished I could explain what I really needed to say to him.

xxx

I shouldn't be here in the first place. Tomo-chan heard the commotion during lunch and she couldn't stop nagging how stupid I had been.

She said that I was not good with words. It was natural that Ryoma-kun would misunderstand me. I did try to clear that but I failed.

I was definitely a mess.

I shouldn't be here right now but I couldn't help it. My great escape was the rooftop. A nice escape indeed. It was already afterschool and the tennis team was probably practicing now.

My feet brought me forward and walked to the other side of the rooftop. I leaned on the wall for a few seconds before sliding down. The crepuscular ray was looking serene as I stared at it. I sighed before grabbing my bag to my side and pulled the box out.

I stared at it for a few minutes before I unwrapping it, opening the lid afterwards. It wasn't the exact heart shaped chocolates. They were actually uniformed but they looked edible to eat. I grabbed a piece and ate it. I couldn't judge my own chocolates. That was the sole purpose of giving it to another person. It was for them to taste it and to give comments to it.

Then, I thought of Ryoma-kun. My heart pounded really fast. We did spend some time together and those were happy times. The more he would get closer to me, the more my feelings of him grew.

I wanted to see him everyday.

I wanted to see him play.

I wanted to hear him speak.

I wanted to see his rare smile.

I wanted to see his smirk too.

I... missed him.

I...

"I love him." I whispered to myself. Recognition came to me first then realization next. Why would I give honmei chocolates for him if that wasn't the reason, right? After all these years, my simple crush to him turned into admiration and then love.

I was in love with Ryoma-kun.

I covered my face with my two hands when I finally realized that. My face was awfully red. What would Ryoma-kun of me? I paled when I remembered that he misunderstood my words. And that me back to where I was now. The girls spread the words after the commotion during lunch time.

There was no way I could give it to him now. That was why I was eating my own chocolates.

"What are you doing?"

I literally flinched when I heard a familiar voice near me. A shadow appeared in my line of vision in front of me. I slowly looked up and saw the person that I memorized in my mind.

"R-Ryoma-kun?" I barely said his name.

He was frowning as he looked down from where I was sitting, "Do you really have to eat them?" He asked pointing to the box of chocolates on my lap.

"I..." I started as I blushed. I didn't know how to say anything to him. To my surprise, he crouched down in front of me and eyed the box.

"Is this obligatory?"

I looked at him before answering, "T-this is not..."

"You are eating what you made," Ryoma-kun commented. He then frowned at me, "You are supposed to give it to someone."

"I... I tried," I bit my lower lip, "It was no use giving it to him."

"Naze?"

"E?" I gripped my hands to the box tightly, "Because..."

"Nee, can I try?" He asked pointing at the chocolate, "This is obligatory so it's okay, right?"

My eyes widened when he said what he believed the chocolate would be so I immediately corrected him, "No! This is not!"

He seemed to be surprised of my words, "Oh, this is honmei?" His words sounded uncertain, "Someone gave this to you then?"

"No, no one gave this to me?"

"What?"

"I made it!" I ventured enough courage to look at him. I took a deep breath before jerking the box to him, ducking my head and closing my eyes at the same time. I waited for him to say something and he didn't make me wait for long.

"Do you want me to eat it?"

I nodded still not looking at him.

"It's not mine."

"I-it's yours!" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

"But that's..."

I nodded once again. My eyes widened the moment I realized his question. It seemed like I had confessed to him indirectly. I dared myself to peek at him. And saw the intense look in his eyes. It made me look down once again.

"You did not give me obligatory chocolates today."

"I did not." I whispered. I felt his hands on top of mine which I immediately pulled mine back so that he could hold the box to himself. I fidgeted with my fingers as I bit my lower lip, "I... I..."

"You don't like me so why?"

I gasped as I looked up once again. He was already eating my chocolate. I couldn't help but blush, "I-it's not like that!"

"Oh, you like me then." He said as a statement.

"No!" The word just blurted out making the both of us flinch at the same time. My face was probably furious red now. Why was I so bad at words. I didn't know what to say.

I didn't even know how to say them.

"You are confusing me."

My eyes shot right back at me. I could almost see irritation from them. Ryoma-kun could get impatient if provoked and I was doing it.

I took a deep breath and tried explaining myself. "R-Ryoma-kun! I... I, you... e-ever since that day on the train... I have always-always looked up to you."

"And..."

I glanced at him for a few seconds before looking down at my hands which were resting on my lap, "And, I-I always liked you."

"I already knew that you didn't," He shrugged and I thought that he was smirking but when I looked at him, he was just waiting for my next words.

"Mou! Why is this is so hard to tell you my feelings!" I covered my face with my hands so I didn't see his reactions after that, "R-Ryoma-kun, I... you see... to you... I..."

"You know what?" He said surprising me by holding both of my wrists to pull them away from my face. He held my gaze and saw how serious his expression was, "Screw your words. Let your mouth do the listening instead."

He totally surprised me when he crossed the distance and placed his own lips squarely to mine. My eyes dilated, my breath hitched and my heart skipped a beat. He let go of wrists and placed his hands to both of my cheeks kissing me deeply.

Ryoma-kun was kissing me and he tasted chocolate.

Everything seemed so surreal now. I felt like the things around me were doing something incredible, like the trees were talking or the ground was walking. Heck, even the sky was filling what missing.

I never thought that kissing him would make me think ridiculously. It made me melt.

Words weren't enough to express them.

He broke the kiss after a few seconds. My face was really red and my lips were tingling from the touch of his own lips.

That was my first kiss.

"Well?" He asked smirking at me. His hands found my hands once again, "That worked, didn't it?"

"Y-yeah..." I found myself agreeing. I was still shocked. Ryoma-kun could make me react this way, "Y-yeah, I guess it did," I chuckled when I realized how silly I was, "It worked, alright."

Ryoma-kun shook his head and leaned closer to me once again, "Just stop talking and listen." And he kissed me again.

The impact was still the same but this time, after a few seconds of shock, I was able to respond to him.

Just like he said, my mouth listened.

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 **Done! How was this one-shot? I was actually debating whether I start doing the next chapter of Cherry Valentines but I couldn't get the words right. I had this idea in mind since last year so I thought I should write this instead. I'll update CV when my muse is working again. :)**

 **I also had another idea of a fic and it is related to every 14th day of the months. The year has already started and I am two months behind. I just found that this is possible recently so I hope I can post the first chapter soon. Thank you... :)**

 **Reviews please! Thank you... :)**

 **I do not the song featured above. Just love sharing it. :)**

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 **Happy Valentines Day!**

 **I love you all!**

 **~ MitsukiJunko ~**


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